The Celestial Way (COMPLETED PROJECT)

[Кал]

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I can promise one thing though - if this novel goes gold, I'm totally EXPLODING with the most wildest things I've ever imagined crammed into a sci-fi metaphysical transhumanist far-future space opera with dragons - with a strong emphasis on the inspiring positivism!

I'm really happy to hear this. Dare I say "ineffably"?

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And speaking of transhumanism, did you see the new entries in this topic?

[Radiant Dragon]

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I'm really happy to hear this. Dare I say "ineffably"?

Haha, here is a word that wasn't in my vocabulary until now. Thank progress for the modern internet.
But yeah, now I understand your little semantic play with words. Clever!

And speaking of transhumanism, did you see the new entries in this topic?

Yeah, I've seen it a month ago (forgot to give you a thank you for those Boston Dynamics robots!), but the prevalent tone of the opinions wasn't really to my taste so I refrained from replying. Mostly because I'm tired of the "Oooh, true AIs are scary and incomprehensible! Oooh!" - the first part (scary) is a form of self-fulfilling prophecy - treat something with fear, and it will become frightening one way or another, and the second part (incomprehensible) is downright... well, I won't fling brutal epithets around, but let me say that a random Dark Ages peasant would also have considered the idea of, say, modern television as incomprehensible.

Also, somewhat back to topic, maybe I should explain some other time how I've "solved" the "problem" of superintelligence in the TCW setting - and it's a neat theoretical construct that I think it's possible to be actually true in the real world, too.

[Radiant Dragon]

Валят успехи...

Finished Chapter 23! Only three more chapters to go. And then it's time to do the Final Interlude, and finish this novel at last.

(Well, there's the epilogue also, but that thing is so straightforward compared to all the rest I don't even count it among the To-do stuff - and while it gives a nice closure to the overall plot, it's all extra fluff the main story can live without. Sorta. )

[Radiant Dragon]

Scattershot approach Part II

Struggled with slow progress on Chapter 24 for three days, so I went ahead and wrote the ending for a change of pace. Stress levels are very high at this point - I really wish this book just to finally end. Barely squeezing 1000-1300 words per day, out of nowhere there are suddenly A FUCKTON of setting/story axioms that have to be decided and considered when all this shit is supposed to be long done. FUCKING HATE THIS! I just want to write the damn ending and be done with!!!

And thus, my 30-day marathon officially concludes. The idea was to write a minimum quota of 1k words per day, or about 3 and 1/3 pages - thus getting 30k words, which SHOULD'VE BEEN ENOUGH to reach the finish line.
Well, nope.
Jun 30 is officially over writing-wise, and I'm left with a quota deficit of 4700 words - or about 15.6% less than my minimum target.

And I still have two whole chapters, an interlude, and an epilogue to write. Oh, and to finish that pain in the ass/eyes/heart/head/everywhere, Chapter 24.

AAAAARRRRRGHHHH!!! I WANT TO ENJOY SUMMER ALREADY!!!

[Radiant Dragon]

Finished Chapter 24.

Eight thousand words. Preposterous.
At least it's readable and coherent, so:

Mug-meme-close-enough.jpg

(46.63 KiB) Not downloaded yet

Starting Chapter 25 tomorrow.

The rest of this post's content is to circumvent this forum's anti-shortness policy. Chapter 25 should finally clear the last remaining headaches plot-wise, and then I'd be only left with thinking scenery/combat porn for the final battle. (There's the final interlude, but that's another matter.) At least I got myself mostly covered in terms how the grand rumble would play out. I'd been really stumped for a long time how the "heroes" were supposed to "beat" one of the "bosses" (yes, by default I think in videogame terms, thank you very much), and recently I finally came with a totally awesome and satisfying idea how to do that. (The idea has been floating around for a while in truth, but only in the last week or so it "popped" as fully-resolved solution.)

Of course, this is spoiler territory, so you'll have to read the book to find out. But I promise, it'll be pretty spectacular, scale-wise at least.

[Radiant Dragon]

Cut out 600 words from Chapter 25, and placed them -- after slight alteration -- at the end of Chapter 24, because they were too bleak for a chapter that's titled "The Way of Love".

Yep, you've read that right. While Chapter 24 and 25 are both supposed to be the "darkest hour" in the story, Chapter 25 is also the moment when the book's two main characters take the last, final step in their relationship - when they become true companions, and the former dragonslayer at last fully opens his heart to the young dragon, as they and the remaining survivors launch a desperate, suicidal attack to try and stop the BBEG.

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And, of course, they succeed, or this would've been a rather heart-wrenching story (and no potential start of a series whatsoever) that I totally would abhor to write.
Oh, and in case the acronym is confusing - it stands for Big Bad Evil Guy. Which, again, it's not quite true - at least I hope I've managed to portray the main antagonist in a more nuanced matter -but ya know, conventions and such.

As such, I'm aiming for a rather profound tone in the second part of the chapter, but we'll see how much this will avoid to stray into Narm territory. Hopefully, completely.

[Radiant Dragon]

After another round of neural enhancers - a 500ml can of Monster - I pumped out another 2,6k words into Chapter 25. Almost reached the half-way point.

I can already see the lighthouse. Now just to guide the ship through the final reefs of last-minute-disasters, and I can finally enter a safe port to rest and recuperate from the storm that's been rocking a significant portion of my life for the past few years.

One and a half chapters, one interlude, and one epilogue remaining. I'm doing this.

[mitseva]

Whoa! You're almost there. I'm so happy for you!
Go! Go! Go!
JUST DO IT!!!

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Next week I'll have enough free time to start the beta reading. I can't wait.

[Radiant Dragon]

Finished Chapter 25.

Time for the end game.

Now I go to sleep.

[Radiant Dragon]

Finished Chapter 26.

And. It. Was. So. Fucking. Hard.

Hard.

HARD.

HAAAAAAAAAARD!!!

Seriously, it felt like the hardest Chapter to write. I know not whether this is a subjective experience, because on a logical level I remember other parts of the book that gave me trouble to no end - but this was so hard! Hard-hard-hard-hard. Hard!!!

Possibly, because I was overwhelmed by the sheer need for hypervisualization of the "final showdown", and because at the same time I was ultra-stressed from anxiety if said hypervisualization had (would have?) the proper impact on the reader. All that on top of my year-long fatigue. And on top on the added stress that I still need to actually finish the book.

Would I revisit this Chapter later for revision? Definitely. Would it be anytime soon? Absolutely not. So you better feel DAMN IMPRESSED WHEN YOU READ IT ALPHAS AND BETAS, or else!

Starting the Final Interlude tomorrow.

"The Celestial Way" is scheduled for full completion this Tuesday. The program is either FI on Monday and Epilogue on Tuesday, or FI's outlining+beginning on Monday, and FI's completion+Epilogue on Tuesday.

[Radiant Dragon]

ДААААААААААААААААААААААААААААААААААААААААААААААААААААААААААААААААААААААААААААААААААААААААААААААААААААААААААА!!!
(Capslock-а залепна, секунда моля...)

THE CELESTIAL WAY is finally finished.

The long, arduous journey is at last complete. I have endured until the very end.

I am so happy.

There were times during these long, incredible years that I didn't see myself ever finishing this project, or believing I could do it. Thankfully, there were also moments when I both saw the work's completion and believed in my abilities, and those were more numerous than the last. And the result of their superiority is now evident at last.

I may not have created the best book in the world. I probably haven't. I may not have created even a good book. What I have created, however, is nothing short of miraculous and unique - at least to me. This is a project that so far has defined my entire post-depression life, and I had spent three years toiling over it with sweat, blood, and tears. I have poured all of my soul into these some 500+ pages, and that, for me, is what makes this so important.

I have created something that I'm proud with, something that is fun, engaging, emotional, and carries higher meaning. And maybe, just maybe, when one day others read this, some of them shall find part or all of those values in this work of art.
That is all a Creator can ask for -- for their work to Entertain, to Inspire, and to Enlighten.

To whoever reads this post, or any other part of this topic, thank you.
To whoever visits this forum, thank you.
To whoever exists, dreams, and loves, thank you.

May the stars always shine upon your soul.

Never have I've been more happy to say I have completed something.
(Not that my life has been so full of events, nah...)

[mitseva]

OMG! OMG! OMG! I'M SO PROUD OF YOU!!!







Ако знаеш само как ме развълнува с тази новина...

[Radiant Dragon]

Благодаряяяяяя!

Аз самият все още съм в нещо като шок/събуждащ се от сън. Твърде съм изтощен, за да ме обземе радостта изцяло, но пък ми едно такова прекрасно леко.

Даже, сега като започнах оформлението на beta reader копието (което ще бъде докарано във вид за submission-и, като ще му лепнем по едни приходящи анонс (за рибоците) и резюме (за издателите)), препрочетох пак на по-свеж ум няколко от финалните моменти в книгата - дето иначе ги бях писал тотално на "сляпо" от свръхпренатягане - и... звучат супер! Right in the feels, което означава, че всичко е ток и жица!

Смешното в цялата работа е, че очаквах мозъкът ми да удари тотален шалтер след цялата тая епопея, а пък вместо това, още по време на victory душа в четири сутринта на 17-и вече взеха да ми идват идеи-предложения как да ъпгрейдвам сцени да станат по-"джиджани". 'Айде бе, аз исках почивка, не още бъхтене!

Отново, благодаря ти за подкрепата, Яна. Ти и Ани(nyx) с вашите бутончета "благодаря" бяхте това, което Лъч и Снежи бяха за "Космически залог" през 2012-а. А Кал си е все така Кал - него пръв ще го цаним за longevity treatment когато масовите анагатици дойдат.

А ето сега и още един смешен ъпдейт, вече достъпен и за англоезичното posterity.

---

Post-Writing Update 1

Funny story - when I finally shared the good news with my family, my mother - who's always been an analytical person - made me make a breakdown of what I've written and when I've written it during the past three years.

This is awkward.

As it happens, it turned out... that for two and a half years I've been waffling around with merely ~25% of the book - namely, Part I. It's during these 30 odd-something months when the major re-arrangement happened (iteration 7b), when I was facing the greatest moments of self-doubt and powerlessness, and when I was still getting traction. Wow. Now, there was also a lot--and I mean A LOT--of "white-boarding", planning in perspective, note-taking, "listening" to the characters, and so on, so I can't really say it's time poorly spent, for this kind of "prep-work" has in the end facilitated the progressed that followed.

But still, wow.

The rest of the novel - Parts II, III, and IV - some 170k words worth of a fuck-ton of stuff - the more important stuff - I have all crunched them in six months and a half. And that's counting the micro-crises, where I would go days without writing.

O...kay. Just... wow.

Color me

Lesson learned - I can actually double-down when it matters; I just have to pace myself better. And be a little less ambitious with my next project.

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Which is gonna be a computer game! HAHAHA, you thought I'd start planning TCW 2? No dice, peeps. I'm taking a loooooooooong break from this one. Although I'm already chock-full of ideas for Books 2 and 3...

[Radiant Dragon]

Post-Writing Update 2

Finished formatting the beta-reading copy. Final result: a meaty, 1.2 MB PDF worth of three years' effort.

Then I realized I hadn't spell-checked the stuff. There went two hours of rage-inducing (not-so)mindless clicking. (Can't believe how many typos I had made!!)

Oh, well.

[Кал]

If beta readers are going to read the manuscript on mobile devices (as I read most of my books these last few years), use Calibre to prepare an EPUB version too. (Convert from the DOC(X)/ODT file--not from the PDF.) PDFs are a pain to read on small screens.

[Radiant Dragon]

Hmmm, I was wondering if/whether I should prepare and EPUB, too, since all the beta-reading I've done so far was either raw working file or PDF(s).

But I guess it makes sense. Given that

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I was gonna format the file for you as EPUB anyway.

I'll try the latest version of LibreOffice to convert, though, before I attempt to fiddle with Calibre again. (It's too fiddly for me.)

EDIT: Ok, so the LibreOffice variant works well enough, however... the ToC goes all to shit. (It's non-interactive; and no, I can't be arsed to make it interactive.) So I'll offer both versions to people (pdf or epub), but if they choose the latter, they better don't come crying that "X" chapter or "Y" interlude isn't on the page that it's supposed to be on according to the ToC. You've been warned!

[Кал]

The Celestial Way (ver 2019-07-24) – notes in progress:

~ Listen to the language of a visionary, a living avatar of power, and a zealot:

I drew the power of my grandest vision, and heralded before them the new, final, Great Age I was going to bring upon Creation. I told them Salvation was upon us All, and we were soon to become One. Forever.
Oh, how foolish they were.
The merest of pauses was their only response. After that instant, they fell upon me in absolute earnest, in complete unison. They were the wisest individuals of the galaxy; and they were also the deadliest, and most powerful, save for the greatest of dragons. And though it burdened their hearts, they carried out any hard decisions with determination to the end.
Yet I was prepared for such mindless, reality-bound rejection. Saddened, yet prepared. I summoned the entirety of my existence, the very definition of my being, and cast it into the mirror of the Universe to magnify its light a thousandfold. I flared with the greatest, purest radiance of the stars themselves, a Beacon for all the souls in the world, an Avatar of the Great Cosmos itself. With merely a gesture, I controlled everything; I foiled their attacks, averted their powers, prevented their retreat, and broke their resistance. My Will was Law, and with a gesture I bade them become Enlightened, to see the One Truth. They were not ready for Ascension; each one burst into a brilliant spark of pure Essence, their individuality severed, yet their Spirit Enduring.

It makes me shudder.

(And this rain of sparks at the end reminds me of Casshern, the movie.)

[Radiant Dragon]

Ehhh, get a taste of the setting some more (you slow readers! ):

"Is uplifting truly a blessing of the enlightened age? The word 'uplift' means 'to take one higher'; uplift in the metaphorical sense means to ascend to the soaring infinite skies of existence. Uplifting as an advanced evolutionary procedure of revolutionary proportions is meant to open the eyes of those beings who cannot open them themselves, and to present them the beauty of the Great Cosmos.

Yet is this really how uplimals today see their origin and purpose? Are they truly different beings from us? Or is the long, complicated process of uplifting merely an installation of a Homo Sapiens psyche in a different biological base template? Are transhumans to be considered absolute egotists for creating their mirror image in the form of uplimals, or are they heroes that brought the gift of enlightenment to countless beings in the universe?

In this book, renowned author and researcher Sir Dr. Reibwyr Draus explores the issues and characteristics of uplimal society, recounts their conflicted history across the Restoration Era and struggles for independence, analyzes the impact of the Supremacy Wars and the Axiom Crusades on uplimal populations, and presents detailed sociological observations on each of the major clades, explaining their psychology, behavior, emergent tradition and mythos, and desire for wider recognition as independent species."

— online blurb, "Uplifting: The Ethics of Assisted Transcendence", Datalinks

This potentially might find its way into Book 2 (or 3, or whichever), but that's soooo far down the road, that I don't care about posting it publicly - the only thing is the fictional author will be a recurring meta-character (and has his own epigraph in Chapter 24), but meh.

[Кал]

The Celestial Way (ver 2019-07-24) – notes in progress:

~

"The Æther Age is called after the ultra-region-slash-substance known as <Æther>, <ether>, <dark matter-slash-dark energy>, <quantum vacuum>, <Overspace> (the theoretical containment plane of SUHN-space), and according to some sources, <Realm of God> (or simply God), <The Great Verge>, and <imagination>. Some fringe sources also state that the Æther is the metaphysical manifestation of the Great Cosmos itself – as far as such an entity might be perceived in its ontological entirety."

Big words for big concepts. A space opera needs its operatic stage.

Meesa likes.

~ Speaking of big words, I'm impressed by the author's vocabulary--and doubly so, since English is not his first language, and since this is his first novel. (Okay, so make that "triply so." ) I don't mean such highly specialized passages (where the highfalutin vocab serves a comedic purpose as well):

He had no idea a conversation about clouds could last so long, even when it included nephologious terms like cyclonic lift or altitude boundaries.

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(Yeah, yeah, it should be "nephologic(al).")

I mean the sheer variety of registers and, for that matter, at least half dozen distinct character's voices. So much oomph in one so young ... the mind boggles.

~ Two characters and their relationship defined in less than fifty words:

The door's intercom chimed. Airo went and opened.
Veralla stood at the threshold, looking at him happily. "Hi!" she said.
"Get lost," Airo growled.
"For what purpose?" she asked, perplexed.

~ And what can break the ice in said relationship? Why, nothing less than the most important art of the future:

After a while, the intercom chimed, and the door opened on its own. Veralla entered the room.
"Hey!" she said brightly. "What are you doing?"
Airo lifted his head (...). "I am... playing games," he said, blinking away the confusion.
"Oh! Games! Can I play, too?"
"If you want to," Airo said patiently, and the dragonet hrrr-ed in joy. He moved to free the seat but Veralla jumped, and landed straight into his lap.
"How do you play?" she asked, standing on her hind legs and watching the screen eagerly.
Airo, still shocked by the event, struggled to find his voice. "You use these buttons, and..."
"I know, I know," the dragonet said impatiently. "Kiana showed me how to use all kinds of interfaces, even a keyboard, if I had to. I ask how do I win?"
Airo explained her the nature of the game. The dragonet began to play. She clicked the keys clumsily with her claws, her eyes narrowed at the flatscreen, forked tongue flicking out in concentration. Airo watched her in stunned silence, paying no heed as her absentmindedly lashing tail swatted him on the head. (...)
He was about to say something, when Veralla's sinuous neck curved and she turned her head to him. "Are there any games with dragons in them?" she asked curiously.
Airo winced, but nodded. "There are," he said. He had found one entry earlier during his play. "Search the index directory for Soukou Zmei."
She did, and loaded the game. The intro played, and then a dragon with a human on its back began flying through grand ruins amidst a vast ocean and endless skies.
"Why I cannot turn around?" Veralla asked, frantically pressing keys.
"The way is only forward," Airo said. "You must control both the rider and the dragon."
Veralla grabbed the aiming sphere. The avatar onscreen lifted his enchanted cannon, shooting a stream of glowing bolts. Enemies exploded in brilliant clouds of multi-colored lights. Epic symphony and haunting chimes flowed from the speakers. Veralla hrrr-ed, completely enthralled.
Airo checked surreptitiously on his heads-up display for historical data about the game. He stared at the display in awe. The game was one of the recovered infoclusters from the Codex. It was made in the time of the Ancients, before the Cataclysm. More than thirty millennia ago.
And yet, perfection reigned immortal.
Veralla played for a long time. Airo sat there, pinned by her, watching her, thinking... thinking nothing. He felt eerily relaxed, despite the fact he was in physical contact with a dragon. Veralla struggled with the controls. Without realizing what he was doing, Airo bent forward, and put his hand on her foreclaw, steadying her aim. The music flowed in harmonic resonance, the levels scrolled through dozens of magical vistas, dragon and rider united in their quest for good prevailing over evil. Airo guided Veralla...
...Why he called her by name?...
...and together they finished the game when the early light of pre-dawn paled onto the wall. Airo hadn't realized this room had a window.
"This was so beautiful," Veralla said in a small voice.

[Radiant Dragon]

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Между другото, позна ли играта?

(Alpha Centauri съм я drop-нал дословно, защото тя е ЕЙ такова влияние върху идеите ми за футуризма, а може би във сферата на изкуството изобщо. Един от най-ключовите трикове, които научих от нея, е как да създадеш достоверен образ за едно невъобразимо бъдеще, без да изпаднеш в клопката на Zeerust.)

EDIT: (Така де, ще мога да направя този claim истински след поне 20-30 години, but you get the idea.)
EDIT 2: (А може би science елемента ми е толкова soft, че направо целия point e moot...)

[Кал]

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Конкретно тази игра не съм. Но през цялото време в главата ми се носят полъхи от взаимодействията в Drakengard 3...

Сега тичам в безкомпютърна територия за една седмица. Тъкмо ще си наваксам с четенето.

[Radiant Dragon]

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Ех, Drakengard 3... нея съм решил тия дни пак да си я изгледам при онзи ютубър... (който мжд се беше наложил да си реъплоудва видеото порадни идиотски гугълски причини)

Но не. Това е първата Panzer Dragoon.

EDIT:

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Ако после се заинтересуваш още, поредицата върви така: Panzer Dragoon 2 (prequel), Panzer Dragoon Saga (което е конзолно рпг, мноо яко е; като хронология е, ъъъъ, май паралелна вселена или нещо от сорта... продължение на единицита) и накрая Panzer Dragoon Orta (продължение на Saga) за XBOX (оригиналния).

EDIT 2:

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И естествено, Мьобиус. Той реално е бил кумир за арт директора на играта и даже част от concept art-а, както и финалната корица самият той ги илюстрира.

[Кал]

The Celestial Way (ver 2019-07-24) – concluding notes:

~ Hehehe ... who said 'showmanship'?

"While here," Boyd cut in, "everything is showmanship! Pure, bamboozling performance! They don't even use real, practical invocations, like the tried-and-true exothermic globular pyrokinetic offensive energy discharge!"
It took a second for Veralla to puzzle out that. "You mean a fireball?"

~ A whiff of Dao (only in reverse):

"What is the difference?"
"To understand that, you have to understand the Way itself."
"I understand it well enough: it is a pile of philosophical crap made to placate keening souls with false promises of awakening."
"There are no invalid interpretations of the Way."

Then it becomes its own thing:

"Amidst the entirety of of the universe," the old Knight intoned, "there exist nine primal directions: Forward, Backward, Upward, Downward, Sideward, Inward, Outward, Stillward; and finally, The Celestial Way, which unites all the previous directions of the Great Cosmos.
"And from that core constellation every other Way comes forth: lifeward, deathward, richward, poorward, joyward, sorroward, freeward, shackleward, loveward, fearward, lightward, darkward, and so on.
"Thus the Celestial Way defines All, and at the same time, encompasses All; the Alpha and the Omega, the Ying and the Yang, the Aught and the Naught, and the Ten Thousand Things that form the rest of the absolute, grand totality of existence – magic, reality, energy, matter, thought, life, death, freedom, enlightenment, and ascendancy."
Airo listened silently, assailed by sudden memories. Long ago, an eternity before, Zenassa had spoken the same words.
"The Way is immutable and never-ending," Magus continued. "The Way is ever-changing and fleeting. The Way is an idea. The Way is a journey. The Way is a path to enlightenment.
"The Way can be considered many things. It is simultaneously all of those things, and yet none of them. The Way can become known in time, yet it is by definition unknowable. The Way can be followed, yet it will only lead to where one desires to go. The Way shines with the immortal radiance of the stars, yet it will never bestow awakening against one's will.
"The Celestial Way is what one desires of it to be."

~ What do you know about pansexuality? And what do food and sex have in common?

"I like girls who have adventurous spirit like myself."
"Only girls, Sphagus?"
Bernard waggled a finger. "Don't mix omnisexuality with lack of preferences, dear Teha. I can have intercourse with everything that moves, but I still pick my partners. Like I've said, good cuisine and good sex – they have a lot in common. Both can be satisfied in a myriad of ways, yet quality is what sets apart mere indulgence from wholesome gratification."
"Yah, in that case, you're the burger joint of the galaxy (...)"

Seriously, I like the innuendo flavoring all conversations with Sphagus, erm, Bernard. It mixes in the right amounts of immature and mature.

~ Now this bit bothers me:

She had never given up on him. She had stood always at his side, offering her support and inexhaustible joyfulness. She had saved his life, both in body, in mind, and in soul. And she asked nothing in return, his smile and the brightness in his eyes a reward enough for her.

It bothers me because it's actually true: Veralla is always there for Airo, and she never gets testy, unreasonable, or (excessively) clingy. Is that supposed to be the prerequisite for, the ideal foundation of, a friendship/partnership? But what about those times when we aren't on our best behavior? How should our friend/partner approach us then? How would Airo approach a Veralla crisis?

(Then again, who am I to speak with my Юна/Yin ....)

~ And then, who can really sulk at Veralla? After she comes and does something like this?

"What are you thinking about?" Veralla asked, pulling Airo from his reverie.
"The past," he replied. "I am saying my farewells to it."
"Oh," she said, all childish wonder as usual. "Will the past not be sad if you do so with it?"
"No, it will not," he replied, and smiled, feeling more free than ever. "In fact, it will become much happier. It has waited for a long time for me to release it."
"Oh." Veralla uncoiled somewhat, so she could look at him, her snout inches away from his face. "I did not know that temporality from the space-time continuum was able to possess or express emotions."
"I did not know either," he laughed, meeting her amethyst gaze.

Or this?

"I want to give you a present, too."
"Oh," he said, taken aback pleasantly. "What kind of present?"
"A kiss," she said, her voice shy.
"A kiss?" he asked in amused notion. His smile widened. "Sure, go ahead. Although I do not know how a human and a dragon would... you know, do such a thing."
In response, her large, serpentine tongue licked him across the face.
"Okay... that also works."
"Was it a good kiss?" she asked anxiously.
"It is difficult for me to decide," he replied mildly. "This is the very first time I receive a kiss from a dragon. I have no previous experience to—"
Veralla licked him again, dazing him into silence.
"What about now? Was the first kiss good?" she asked.
"You... you kissed me again only so you can ask the same question?" Airo balked.
She showed her teeth in a devious smile, her slit-pupiled eyes sparkling, "I will continue to kiss you until you have enough experience to answer me."

~ Well, this was glorious.

Can you see the goofy grin on my face? Or must I struggle with them words?

It brimmed with fresh ideas, grand stakes, personal growth, meaningful talks, witty banter--and light. So much light. Enough to show that there are no bad guys, only bad states we go through. (And, yes, misunderstandings.)

The body count was exorbitant, and my eyes glazed over at the more technical descriptions, but these are minor quibbles. (Especially when the book reminds you we're not just bodies.)

Four luminous stars. You made much of my August, Drake.

Read from 1 August to 22 August

[Кал]

И понеже празникът настъпи, време е да повдигна завесата...

Препоръчвам ви топло: The Celestial Way

Четящи приятели (:

Ако художественият английски не ви затруднява, ви препоръчвам с цялото си сърце и ум романа The Celestial Way: https://choveshkata.net/blog/?page_id=8444

Българските романи, които без колебание бих превел и предложил на целия свят, се броят на пръстите на ръцете ми: „Време разделно“, „Приказка за Стоедин“, „Аз, грешният Иван“, „Слънце недосегаемо“, „Ортодокс“... Към тях миналата година се присъедини и The Celestial Way – с допълнителното преимущество, че него дори не ми се налага да го превеждам, ами мога директно да го предложа на света. ;) (Казано по-сериозно: това е един от текстовете, за които току-що започнахме да търсим западни агенти и издателства.)

Визионерски, градивен, обърнат към големите теми в космоса ни – и вътрешния, и външния. Вълнуващ. Ето как ме вълнува мене: viewtopic.php?p=28219#p28219 (и надолу).

Всъщност ме развълнува дотолкова, че влезе като едно от препоръчителните четива в конкурса ни за позитивни романи „Изгревът на следващото“ – редом с „Реквием за Хомо сапиенс“ на Зиндел и „Мъглявината Андромеда“ на Ефремов: https://choveshkata.net/blog/?p=8772

Та... поискайте си го. :) Просто драснете един ред на Човешката библиотека (poslednorog -в- gmail.com) – и ви го пращаме електронно. (А ако предпочитате на хартия, съвсем скоро се появи и хартиеният тираж.)

И прочетете ли го, елате при мен да си поговорим. Или да помълчим, с поглед към нощните небеса – и всичките пътища, които ни чакат там.

Вдъхновяващи,
Кал)

I warmly recommend: _The Celestial Way_

Friends (:

In my life as a reader, I've come across only a handful of Bulgarian novels that I would love to translate into English and show to the whole world. Last year, I found one more: Drake Vato's The Celestial Way. The good part is, it's already in English. See: https://choveshkata.net/blog/?page_id=8444

The novel is visionary, constructive, and hopeful. It tackles the great issues of our cosmos--both the inner and the outer one. It's exciting. That's how much it excited me: viewtopic.php?p=28219#p28219 (and the posts below).

We've even included it among the recommended reading for our first national contest for positive novels (in Bulgarian), along with such heavyweights as David Zindell's Requiem for Homo Sapiens and David Brin's Uplift series.

If you trust my recommendation and wish to read it, just drop a line to poslednorog -в- gmail.com. We'll send you the ebook.

And if you do read it, come talk to me. Or come sit next to me in silence, and let's gaze at the night sky together--with all the ways that await us there.

May your ways inspire you,
Kal

[Radiant Dragon]

Best. Birthday. Present. EVER!

I'm both honored and humbled. To see this creation put next to such titans... it is a profound experience.

Thank you, my friend, for these radiant words. Thank you, for you have the reputation of speaking plainly - without falsehoods and without embellishments.

Now, let us see what the future holds in store... I'll sit by and smile beside you.

May the stars always shine upon our souls.


ПП. А на чист български - ай мерсаж и наздраве, батка!